Rembrance
by grandbea
Summary: Orphaned at a young age, Christine grows up wanting to honor her father's memory. Suddenly forced to choose between her desire to please her angel of music, will Christine give up the opportunity for a respectable family?
1. Death

"Go fetch the priest."

"What about the girl?"

"Go get the priest, it is bad enough he is dying I won't have him dying without last rites on my conscience now go!"

Feet quickly moved across the floor and a door slammed shut. The older woman muttered "fool". She turned around and sighed.

"Little girl, do you know what's happening?"

A little girl sat on a stool by the fire. She had watched the whole scene play out with her wide eyes. She sat somberly watching the stairs, listening to the distant coughing. She looked at the woman who addressed her. She shook her head.

The woman sighed, "your father is dying. It is time to say goodbye."

The little girl stared, the woman tapped her foot impatiently. She was given a moment of respite when there was a knock on the door. The old woman hurried to the door and opened it cautiously.

"We are from the opera house, we are here to see Gustave Daae."

The woman opened the door skeptically and showed them in.

"He is upstairs."

The man and woman hesitated at the door before coming in.

"Is this the girl?" The woman asked.

"Yes,"

"Is that all she has to wear?"

"I have had to burn all of the other clothing."

"But she is not sick is she?" The older woman shrugged. The other woman stared sharply at her.

"There is also the matters of his estate." The man said, clearing his throat.

"There will not be much left, it all has to be burned."

He rolled his eyes and sighed as he heard the coughing from above. They began to climb the stairs. The older woman huffed, her hands on her hips. She turned around quickly and grabbed the little girl by the arm, dragging her upstairs. As they ascended the coughing got louder, occasionally replaced by a low moaning. The man pushed the door open.

"Papa?" The little girl asked. She pushed through the adults until she stood in front of the bed. Gustave Daae was dying. He lay on a bed with a single candle burning, he turned to his daughters voice.

"Christine come here."

She crept toward his side, she looked at the adults arguing amongst themselves.

"My child, I have not long for this world. But I will still watch over you."

He moved his hand to hold hers.

"When I'm in heaven child, I will send an angel of music to watch over you. You will not be alone."

He coughed, blood dribbling down his chin.

Hands grabbed Christine and pulled her away.

"I got the priest!"

Christine was pulled even further away from the bed, as she began to cry. She stood there sobbing silently as the priest administered last rites. She watched her father cough and cough until he breathed no more.

"Papa!? Papa!?" Christine screamed.

"Get the girl out of here, gather his belongings for the fire."

"Not everything," the man said.

Christine was led out of the room, through tearful eyes she watched the priest cover her father with a blanket. She was led downstairs.

"Girl," Christine was too stunned to answer, she was slapped. "Girl this is Madame Giry, she is from the opera house. They have offered you a spot in their ballet academy in honor of your late father and his work there instead of you being on the streets. Go with her now, there is nothing for you here."

Christine looked at the other woman, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Madame Giry offered her a hand, Christine reluctantly took it and they walked out of the house together into the streets of Paris.


	2. The Opera

Christine kept her head down and sniffed as they walked along. Occasionally she glanced at Madame Giry, who walked quickly toward the Opera Populaire.

"This is your new home," Madame Giry said. They walked around the side of the Opera to the back. Christine stared at all the people bustling around, the horses snorted and ate their hay. Men unloaded things from wagons, and children scurried about. They walked inside, the interior was just as busy as the exterior. Random objects laid all about, some donkeys were on the inside, people moving about everywhere. Christine paused to take it all on.

"Come," Madame Giry said.

Christine scurried to catch up.

"I will show you the ballet dormitories. You can have one hour to yourself before the others come from class." Madame Giry said.

They climbed upstairs to the very top of the building. Madame Giry opened a door revealing a large room with beds lined up inside.

"This is where you will sleep, dress, and amuse yourself if there is time. Your bed will be this one." Madame Giry pointed to a bed in the middle of the room. An old faded blanket was laid on top.

"You have one hour until the others return from class and then there will be lunch. Then you will begin your lessons." Madame Giry started.

Christine sniffed and nodded. Madame Giry turned sharply on her heel and left. Christine sank into the bed and cried. Her papa was gone and she was all alone. She cried until the other girls returned. She could hear their peels of laughter coming up the stairs. The door swung open and Christine could feel their gazes.

"Ugh not another one, another little ballet rat fresh off the streets." An older girl called.

"Maybe this one will burn up too, like Élisabet!" The older girls began to laugh.

Christine bit her lip to stop crying. She hung her head in shame as the girls laughed even harder. As quickly as they came, they left for lunch.

"I don't think you're a rat." A small voice said.

Christine looked up. A blonde girl about her she looked back at her.

"Come on, we need to eat before practice." She held out her hand, "I'm Meg. I think you know my mother the instructor. She's not as strict as she appears, so don't worry and I'll help you catch up in no time."

Christine took her hand and listened as Meg prattled on as they left the dormitory.


	3. The Ghost

They descended deeper and deeper into the opera house. Meg kept prattling until sudden screams stopped the line of girls. Meg grabbed Christine's hand and pulled her to the front. They couldn't see much around the costumes, but Christine saw a sickening pool of red on the floor.

"It's the opera ghost! I know it!" A woman screamed.

Murmurs drifted through the crowd. Suddenly Madame Giry appeared, "back to the dormitories. Now!" She snapped.

There was a sudden crash and madame Giry pushed Meg and Christine away back into the crowd of girls. Several of them screamed and ran away in fear. Christine got separated from Meg while she tried to catch up. She was paralyzed in fear in the workshops of the opera. She backed up against a wall trying to think of how she they came here.

"You should not be here." A low voice said.

"I am lost Monsieur, it is but my first day here." Christine looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. She bit her lip.

"What is your name?" He asked.

"Christine Daae, Monsieur." She said, she looked at her feet.

"The daughter of Gustave?" He asked gently.

"He's dead." She said bitterly.

"Ah," he said, "come let's return you. They will be missing you."

Christine nodded silently and followed the man back up the stairs. He indicated to her to follow the flights to arrive back to the dormitories.

"Monsieur?" Christine asked.

The man turned halfway towards her, "yes?"

"Is there a chapel? In the opera? Where I can pray for my father's soul?" Christine's lower lip began to quiver.

"Ask Madame Giry and she will show you the way. When it is safe." He added.

Christine nodded numbly and turned to head up the stairs.


	4. Angel

Christine trudged up the stairs, she didn't want to go back the other girls. She wanted her father, but he wasn't here, he was gone. He had left her, Christine bit her lip trying not to cry. She opened the door to the dormitory and walked in with her head down, Meg ran up and threw her arms around Christine.

"Where were you?" Meg cried.

"I got lost," Christine whimpered, "I got lost."

"Maman, says we're not supposed to leave the dormitory now, so come let me braid your hair." Meg said.

She pulled Christine to her bed and grabbed a brush. Meg slowly worked her brush through Christine's hair as she talked about life at the Opera. Christine sat patiently as Meg tried to braid her hair and then usually ripped it out.

Madame Giry came upstairs after a few hours and told them that they should stretch and go to bed. She called to talk to Christine privately. Christine got up as the other girls hissed insults from under their breath.

"A friend told me you wanted to go to the chapel." Christine nodded.

"Go borrow a shawl from Meg, and I will show you where it is."

Christine's face brightened and she hurried back to Meg and asked for a shawl. Christine wrapped it around her as she and Madame Giry descended down the stairs. They navigated their way through the props and scenes and down another stair case. Madame Giry pointed at some letters above a door way?

"Can you read, child?" she asked.

"Not very well," Christine said as she looked down in shame.

"This says chapel, this is how you know you are here." Madame Giry said.

Christine looked up and tried to take in the letters, but it meant nothing.

"Do you know your way back to the dormitory?"

"I think so," Christine said.

"Do you know your way back? This is important, there are monsters out there who will take advantage of you, do you know how to get back to the dormitory?" Madame Giry said.

Christine nodded.

"Good. I will see you tomorrow." Madame Giry walked away, the noise of her shoes slowly fading into the distance.

Christine looked at the letters again and slowly descended once more into the chapel. It was dusty and only a small candle burned. A few soft beams of light fell through the stained glass. Christine saw that it was an angel, she hoped her Papa would send her an angel like he promised. There were a few candles lined up, some with photos in front of them. Christine noticed there were no extra candles, so she removed one from it's holder and whispered sorry to its owner. She lit the candle and sat down on the floor. She began sobbing uncontrollably.

"Papa, why did you leave me? Why did you have to go? I do not like it here, the girls are mean to me, there... please send me your angel of music, please." Christine choked out the words between sobs. She eventually laid down on the floor, it was too hard to sit. She was whimpering to herself when she heard the singing.

It was faint at first, but grew louder. Christine sat up, shocked. "Papa?"

"Child, stop your crying, I am the angel that your father has sent."


	5. Foyer de la danse

"Is my father okay?" Christine said whimpering. She sniffed wiping away her tears.

"Yes he is, he is in heaven with the other angels creating beautiful music for all to hear."

Christine smiled weakly, she wished he could be here with her.

"Can you sing child?" the angel asked.

Christine nodded, "not like the other angels," she bit her lip.

"I will teach you my child," the voice said gently. "Do you know how to read music?"

"A little."

"Do you know how to read?"

Christine shook her head, "no," the tears began to well up again. She hung her head in shame.

"Child, have no fear."

"I am not as smart as the other girls." Christine said.

"We shall begin tomorrow."

"What?"

"Tomorrow, I will find the materials in heaven and we will begin our lessons."

Christine fell into a routine. She would spend the days practicing ballet and the nights with her angel. She slowly was able to read and recognize words. Her angel cautioned her to keep her lessons to herself and not to tell anyone she was learning to read. Christine did, but she shared a few words with Meg. Sometimes the angel would ask her questions about her life at the opera. Christine told the angel to tell her father not to worry. She was becoming friends with Meg and Meg's Mother, Madame Giry was warming up to her as well. The angel voiced his approval.

One evening a few months after she had arrived, Madame Giry brought her a new dress. Christine had mentioned to her angel that her old dress was getting too short and tight and the angel said he would find a way to get her a new one. The first day Christine put it on the other girls fawned over it. The older girls demanded where she got.

"She hasn't been in the foyer de la danse, so it isn't from a patron..." one of the other girls said.

"Oui... you're right, but I know a gentleman or two who would enjoy her youth," another smiled viciously.

They laughed as Christine shied away from them and tried to hide her new dress. Later Christine asked Meg about the foyer de la danse.

Meg shrugged, "it is where the older dancers warm up. It's very fancy, but Maman doesn't let me go in very often. She makes me warm up elsewhere."

Christine nodded and decided to ask the angel tonight. There was a performance at the opera tonight and because Meg had trained longer she was chosen to be in the ballet that night. Christine was going to be at a lesson with her angel. She watched part of the performance from backstage and when it was time she headed down to the chapel. She wanted to pray before her lesson, but when she got there there was a boy running around.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Raoul de Chagny!" he said.

"What are you doing here? You are not part of the Opera company," Christine said confused.

"My parents are the patrons of the Opera, I can go anywhere I want to here."

Christine sighed.

"And who are you?"

"I'm a part of the ballet academy," Christine said.

"Come! We should go to foyer!"

"I... uh..."

"Come!" he beckoned.

Christine dutifully followed. Raoul navigated the opera well and led Christine to the most elegant room she had ever seen. Older members of the ballet corps were stretching in the room. Men were smoking and drinking as they talked among themselves. Some of them were talking with the ballet dancers and having them dance and turn for them. Christine froze she had a feeling she wasn't supposed to be here.

Raoul ran ahead, "Philippe!"

Christine stayed back and stayed close to the wall. She watched Raoul talk to an young man, who quickly grabbed him by the ear and walked him out. Christine tried to look for the way out when an older man approached her.

"Where is your tutu ma petite rat?" he asked.

He had a drink in one hand and Christine tried to dance around him. He blocked her way until she quickly ran around him, she could hear the laughs behind her as she ran back to the chapel. She was in tears by the time she reached the chapel.

"You're late. Do you not value our lessons?"

"I'm sorry monsieur, there was a boy here and he made me go to the foyer de la danse. A man blocked my way back, he called me a rat." Christine sat on the floor crying.

"Do not go back there, I forbid it."

"But what is so bad about it? Why did the girls think a patron had given me this dress?" Christine asked.

"Enough, no more questions. You are forbidden from returning there."

"Okay."


	6. Growth

He watched her as she grew up. She grew more confident in her dancing and in her singing. He taught her to read and write and encouraged her creativity. She started leaving him little notes in the chapel, little poems and trinkets.

He was most impressed with her development as a singer. He strategically left notes and made sure that she was in the right spots when the owner of the Opera house and the conductor were around. He was proud when she started appearing in the operas as minor characters. She was young and impressionable and he did his best to steer her, reinforce her kinship with Madame Giry and Meg.

He made sure she never returned to the foyer de la danse and that the men who attended the opera only admired her from afar. Only he could admire her beauty. He would make sure of that.


	7. Changes

"Girls! I want you warming up downstairs in 5 minutes! The new managers are here and if we want to keep our ballet this big we must show them that we deserve it."

Madame Giry looked at the chaos of the dressing room. Some of the girls were preening themselves and adjusting their costumes to be more revealing. She could see Meg and Christine adjusting their hair in the midst of all of it. She scowled when she saw the paper over the window in the back flicker and move. She would have to talk to Joseph Buquet again and make escalate the situation. She turned and left the dressing room to navigate her way down to the conductor M. Reyer to discuss today's practice.

"Where is my costume!?" the soprano, Carlotta, was running around in her robe yanking dresses off the rack. "Is it done!?" She screeched.

Madame Giry walked away, deciding to avoid the frazzled soprano. She navigated the moving props, the animals, and the workers to arrive to M. Reyer handing out music. He was too busy berating a young violinist to pay much attention to the director of the ballet. Madame Giry sighed and walked back to her dancers.

"Be sure to stretch," Madame Giry said.

She examined each girl to make sure she was stretching deeply enough to avoid injuries.

"It'll be good practice for later tonight..." one girl muttered.

"That's enough!" Madame Giry said.

She frowned as Christine and Meg came down the stairs, late. Meg shrugged when she met her mother's eye. When she was satisfied they would not injure themselves in practice she had them take their positions. Madame Giry went off to the front to watch the practice. While Carlotta began singing she began stretching herself. These girls, these rats, were going to be the death of her, she decided. All she needed was for Meg and Christine to marry well and then she could retire and leave this opera business behind her.

The retiring manager along with the two new ones interrupted the rehearsal. Madame Giry scowled at them as she was introduced. She stood up straighter when the son of the older patrons was introduced as the new patron of the theater. She looked over them to make sure the dancers remained focused. She was not surprised to see them whispering among themselves over the new men. She would have to keep a closer eye on them, she decided.

"Gentlemen, if you would please step this way." Madame Giry shepherded the new managers to one side to avoid the dancers.

"We take particular pride in our ballet," she said, as she watched them eye in all of the chorus girls.

"I can see why, especially that little blonde angel."

Madame Giry straightened, "that is my daughter, Meg Giry."

The two men understood, "and that brown one, no relation I trust?"

"That is Christine Daae, orphaned at 7 when she came to live and train in the ballet." Madame Giry said.

She scowled at a girl who placed her shackles around the neck of one.

"An orphan you say,"

"Yes, but I think of her as a daughter also. Sirs if you would please stand to one side." Madame Girl herded them to the far edge as the scene wrapped up.

The new managers murmured their compliments as the dancers cleared and the elephant was wheeled back into place.

"Is it always like this?" M. Andre asked. He gestured towards the men drinking on the elephant.

"Yes." Madame Giry said curtly.

They watched as the scenes were rolled up and dropped into place. Suddenly the ropes squealed as one broke free, it fell directly onto Carlotta. She screamed as she wailed on the floor. Everyone glanced up as they rushed to help.

"Buquet! For Gods sake what's going on up there?" M. Lefevre yelled.

The new managers stood in shock as they watched the chorus and the dancers murmur about the ghost.

"Ghost?" M. Andre asked his partner.

"These theater people are always suspicious." M. Firmin said.

M. Lefevre looked at the new general managers and shook their hands, "the theater is yours. If you shall need me, I'll be in Australia."

M. Lefevre walked off the stage and through the seats and exited.

M. Andre and M. Firmin looked at each other.

"Madame, these things do happen."

"No! For the past things these things do happen? And did you stop them from happening?" Carlotta was fuming and rubbing her chest. "Until you stop them from happening, this thing does not happen."

She turned and walked away yelling for her possessions and her doggy.

The leading tenor turned towards them, "Amateurs," and followed Carlotta out.

The new managers stood in shock as they turned to M. Reyer, the conductor. They felt overwhelmed with what had happened, "what do we do? We have a full house?"

Someone mentioned an understudy, "is there an understudy?"

"No! There is no understudy for La Carlotta! She has been our leading lady without fault for 3 years!" M. Reyer said.

As the scene played out in front of her, Madame Giry noticed a slip of paper come falling from the rafters. She bent down to pick it up, glancing at the seal. She took it to the new managers.

"I have a message from the Opera ghost," she said gravely.

M. Firmin rolled his eyes, "Oh God in heaven."

He dutifully read it out loud to everyone as M. Andre watched their reactions. "I am aghast at the nerve. This does nothing to our problems Andre."

"Christine Daee could sing." Madame Giry proposed.

She grabbed Christine from the group of dancers she was talking with. She dragged the shy girl to stand in front of the new managers, making sure she was standing well.

"A chorus girl? Don't be silly." M. Andre dismissed her with his hand.

"She has been taking lessons, lessons from a great teacher." Madame Giry insisted.

She pushed Christine forward as M. Andre and M. Firmin looked her up and down. M. Reyer passed in the background.

"Who?"

"I... I don't know his name Monsieur." Christine whispered.

"Let her sing for you," Madame Giry insisted.

She stared down the two managers. They cracked under her gaze, M. Firmin snapped his fingers and gave the signal to M. Reyer. He descended back into the orchestra pit and looked at Christine. Madame Giry smiled at her and nudged her forward. Christine tentatively nodded, signalling she was ready to begin. She began singing, the theater fell into a silence. She looked up as she tried to imagine her angel and her father listening to her. Would they be proud? She tried not to let her voice waver, she had never sung in front of so many people. When she finished, she closed her eyes and waited for their reactions.

"Brava!" the cast burst into a thunderous applause as M. Reyer stood shocked.

The little girl that had asked him about her father sang well. She sang impressively well, better even than La Carlotta.

M. Andre looked to Firmin, "will it be too much?"

"Too much!? No! We shall make our impressive debut! With our new soprano!"

He applauded as he stood in shock, maybe things would work out after all.

"Madame Giry, please make the arrangements to have Christine..." he waved his hand, "please make sure she is ready for the gala."


	8. The Dressing Room

Madame Giry led Christine away. As they walked to the costume rack, silence preceded them. Everyone stared at Christine, she kept her head down.

"Go on ahead, I will come with the dresses and the seamstresses. Change out of your costume and into a robe." Madame Giry shooed Christine away.

Christine slowly walked to Carlotta's dressing room and opened the door. She gasped, there was a man in the room.

"Who are you!?" She accused.

"Ah Carlotta, where are the managers?" the man said.

"What?" Christine asked.

Was this man the new patron? She had heard whispers that a new patron was coming, but why was he in the dressing room? She didn't know whether to stare or to look at the floor. She could feel his eyes on her, but there was something else that she couldn't place.

"Here come sit with me, while we wait for the managers," he said, "my name is Raoul de Chagny."

He gestured to the plush settee he was lounging on.

Christine shook her head, "you are mistaken, Monsieur, I am not Carlotta. I will go find the managers for you."

She slowly shut the door against the man's protests and backed away. When she turned around Madame Giry was standing there.

"What are you doing? I told you to undress." Madame Giry scolded.

"There is a man in there, he is waiting for Carlotta and the managers." Christine said with a shaking voice.

Madame Giry frowned and gave the dresses to Christine to hold. She went inside and with restrain told Raoul de Chagny he needed to wait somewhere else. Raoul came out with a smirk and a wink as Madame Giry herded him off. Christine went inside her nose wrinkling at the smell of the cigar smoke. She carefully hung up the dresses, making sure they wouldn't wrinkle. She opened up Carlotta's wardrobe looking for a plain shift. Everything was covered in lace and ribbons. Christine fingered the material as she looked. She had not seen such finery up close. Her costumes in the ballet were always hand me downs. Madame Giry, despite the talent she said Christine had, never put Christine or Meg in the spotlight. She said it was for the best and Christine always obeyed. She pulled out one of the simpler ones, if that was possible and slipped out of her slave girl outfit. Christine shivered and searched for a match to light the small heater in the dressing room. As she knelt down, Christine lit the match and as she held it in the heater she gasped. There was someone watching her. She screamed and dropped the match. It went out as it dropped to the floor and Christine scooted back on the floor. The grate of the heater slammed shut as the doors opened. Christine could hear the laughter of the seamstresses from behind Madame Giry.

"What are you doing on the floor girl? Did the Opera Ghost scare you?" one of them called out as the rest cackled.

Christine blushed and stood up.

"Come, come let's get you in a corset," one of them said. She opened the wardrobe again and this time pulled out a drawer. She held up a white corset and approached Christine again. Christine held up her arms as the seamstress put the corset halves around her body and began lacing. The laces got tighter and tighter.

"Must they be so tight?" Christine asked.

She was panting and the room was beginning to spin.

"What, girl? Have you not worn one before?"

Christine shook her head. Madame Giry stood in front of her, "take deep breaths." Christine took deeper breaths as the lacing was finished.

"There she should be about the same size as Carlotta now." They pulled the first dress from the rack and begun tying the skirts around her body. Christinie was unsure if she'd be able to sing with the laces so tight. Madame Giry sensing her nervousness suggested she begin some scales as the women measured and took up the skirts. Christine nodded and began warming up. She felt some relief hearing herself not too affected by the corset. Madame Giry smilled and Christine smiled back.


End file.
